Bangoe



i UNITED STATES.

c; AMos, voF soUTHWARK, ENGLAND, AND JOHN FEANois, i BANeoa-Nonrn wALEs.

PATENT OFFICE.

0F NEAR MACH|NEFOP DRESSING SLA-res.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,353', dated January 26, 1864.

To all whom il? may concern: Be. itl known that we, OHAELEs EDWARDS AMos, of the Grove, in the borough of Southwark, and JOHN FRANCIS, of the Penrhynn Slate Quarries, near Bangor, North Wales, in that part of the v United Kingdom of- Great Britain and Ireland known as England and virales, `have invented Improved `Machine-ry Vfor Dressing Slates;` and we do hereby `declare that thev following is a full and exact de# scription of our said invention.

Our Iinvention of improved machinery for dressing slates relates to a novel arrangement ofmachinery whereby roofingslates may be cut, trimmed, or dressed to the different sizes used for building purposes.

The, machine consists of a rectangular vframe, which may,`if necessary, be mounted on wheels for the convenience of transporting or moving the machinefrom onelocality to Manother. This frame is provided with a fixed ,.knife, and also suitable bearings for a lever or i sword-arm, which carries a movableknife.

The sword-arm or lever is suspended by a spring or springs, so thatA when in a normal position the movable cutting-edge is raised above the lower knife edge, and the Itwo edges resemble a pair of open shears and act in the same manner. A treadleframe is attached by means of a link to a lever, which is upon the same spindle as the sword-arm, and the knife edges are brought together by the pressure of the foot of the workman; or, if

desired, the machine may be worked by mechanical power, by applying power t) the treadle-lever, or the treadle-lever may be dispensed with and the power may be applied direct to the sword-arm. The spindle of the sword-arm is made adjustable to compensate for wear in the cutting edge and other workin g parts, and a ga ge-plate with suitable marks or points corresponding to the different recognized sizes of roofing-slates is placed on the frame-work, so that the rough slates may be laid in their proper places and adjusted with facility. If desired, a double set of shears or cuttiugedges may beemployed, so that two sides of the slate may be cut, trimmed, or dressed at the sante time, but this will not be found a convenient arrangement in practice.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a slate-dressing machine, to

b e operatel by the foot of the workman. Fig. is a plan viewof thesame, some ofthe parts bein g` shown in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevationf j i a a is the frame-work of' the machine, which is supported at one end on Wheels or rollers 11 b, for the convenience of transporting the machinefrom place to place. c is a fixed cutting-edge, made of steel or other hardmetal, andsecured to a cast-iron cheek or'back plate, which is iixed on the top framing of the machine by screw-bolts and nuts, so 'that it may be adjusted at pleasure. d is a k'nive or movable steel 'cutter or shear, secured by bolts or screws to the vibrating swordarm d', which is vmounted at its inner end on a horizontal shaft, e. A horizontal lever'or arm, f,is alsomounted on the hshaft e, and is provided at its other end with 'an eye, into which is hooked a rod, rope, or chain, whereby the lever or arm f is connected with the treadle or foot lever g below. ln order to support the sword-arm 'and movable-cutting-edge in an elevated position, as shown atFigzl, (so as to be ready to operate 1 upon a slate when it is brought; up to the shears,) a coiled spring, h, is attached by one end to thearm d', and by the other is suspended from the upper end of a bracket, i, which is xed on the top of the framing. A vertical gageplate, j, is secured in a proper position on the must be so adjusted as to be exactly at right angles to the shears.

The operation of the machine is as follows The workman takes in his hand a slate that requires to be dressed, and hav ing presented one edge to the shears, he places his foot on the treadle g and brings down the lever fand sword-arm d', and thus cuts and dresses'one side of the slate. The dressed side is then placed against the vertical gage-plate 7', and a fresh undressed side is presented to the shears, Which by the workman depressing the treadle g are made to trim this side also. and fourth sides of the slate are presented to the shears in like manner and are properly trimmed, their edges being cut at right angles to each other and to the proper size, which is done by bringing up the slate to certain marks on the gageplatej. The stationary cutting- Figs. 1 and 2, to compensate for wear; and in framing by screw-bolts or otherwise, and it o The third edge ois adjustable vertically, as shown in tion ofthe one just described. In this instance' the treadle is dispensed with, and the movable cuttingshear is operated through theinter lvcntion of a cam, fm, on the main driving-shaft a, Which is driven bya band passed around the pullic s o o,- aud at one end carries a ily-wheel, q. Instead of employing a spring to support the sword-arm d and keep it elevated when in a quiescent state, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a strong` Wood en spring or sword, p, is secured in stand- 'ards r r, above the sword-arm df, to which it is connected at its cuter end by the jointed linlrs 'aand the tendency of this spring-sword is to Vforce down the arm d in the direction of the arrow. The normal or quiescent state ofthe shears in this arran gementof the cuttin gedges istherefore to be closed or shut like a pair of scissors, and in order to open them for the pur pose of inselting'the rough side of aslate to be trimmed the drivin gvshat't n, must be set in m0- tion,and the cam omby bearingragainstaud lifting a piu, t, xed in one side of the swordurm d', will raise the same and open the shears so as to admit of a slate being placed between the cutting-edges,but immediately the highest point of the cam passes from under the Vpin t the arm d will be forced down by the elasticity `and power of the Wooden` spring-sword p and will cut or trim the edge of the slate. It will lbe seen that the axle e of the sword-arm d is mounted in Ladjustable blocks k 7c, as in the former instance, and the bearings of the main or cam shaft n are also adjustable vertically.

It will be seen that the 'machine shown at Figs. 4, and 5 is not provided With Wheels I9 b, to facilitate its removal from place to place, as the machine when driven by mechanical power issupposed and intended to be stationary, but, if desired, this machine may also be provided with wheels, the sa ne as the smaller machine.

Having now described our invention of im proved machinery for dressing slates, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into etiectwe claiml A machine for dressing slates, constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and described. l

In witness whereof we, the said CHARLES EDWARDS Amos and JOHN FRANCIS, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the said CHARLES EDWARDS AMos this 9th day of October, in the year of our Lord, 1863, and the said J oHN FRANCIS this 5th day of Octoday, in the year ot' our Lord 1863.

f C. E. AMOS. [1.. sa]

J NO. FRANCIS. LL. s]

. Witnesses to the signature of Charles Edwards Amos:

M. WYvlLL,

2t RoyalEwoha/nge,London. t t t t t G. W. WEsrLEY,

24 Royal Exchange.

Witnesses to the signature of J ohu Francis GEORGE A. BEST,

Icy Cotfage, Great Crosby, near Liverpool.

THos. VAUGHAN,

No. 2 Brighton Terrace, New Brighton, 011eshire. 

